Renato Bitossi

[1][2] Bitossi was a founding member of the Communist Party of Italy (PCd'I), and was elected to the executive of its Florence branch, but in 1924 repeated attacks by Fascists led him to move to Lyon.

[1][2] On release, Bitossi returned to communist activism, this time in Tuscany and Emilia, but he was again arrested in 1934 and confined to Ponza.

He then returned to Florence and organised armed resistance to the Fascists, and spent a brief period as deputy mayor of the city.

[1][2] In 1946, Bitossi was appointed as deputy secretary of CGIL, and moved to Rome; he was also elected to the central committee of the PCd'I.

In 1947, he was elected as joint general secretary of CGIL, in which role he argued for centralised wage bargaining.